I've been thinking for a while I need to interview Lindsey for The Hundred Blog.

I mean, she's got mad credentials. She's a BADASS SoulCycle instructor here in L.A. teaching at studios all over (with riders that are obsessed with her). She's a model for some of the best brands, like Nike, Carbon38, Pointestudios and Goldsheep clothing. She's also an actress who has big goals and dreams and lives for encouraging others. The bonus (besides the abs) she's thoughtful, smart, funny, beautiful...and on the daily, inspires and motivates everyone she meets.

My people, no?

Plus she also works out in just a sports bra so that's pretty much #goals.

I met Lindsey through my friend, another LindsAy (girls lol) a few months ago, and began attending classes with her at SoulCycle to first introduce myself when I was new in L.A. My girl crush is going to show in this post, but her MUSIC IS SO DOPE. Obviously we all know how important music is in a SoulCycle class, but this girl plays like Phil Collins and Future in the same 45 minutes.

Phil Collins is seriously the greatest of all time, btw.

So for those that haven't done Soulcycle, you may have heard a little bit about the spiritual and soulful aspect of it, where instructors motivate, inspire and encourage you throughout the class as you drip sweat and essentially dance as a team on the bike. Dads go to class too, and try to STUNT on the bike. It's fun but I also make sure that they know what's UP. Hehe.

But anyway, understanding the dynamic of the room, and flow of WHAT to say and WHEN to say it - is a freakin' art. There's a fine line between corny and inauthentic, and those instructors that I go to, that can speak in the 'flow' are modern day Buddhas.

Lindsey does that. Knowing her now as a friend, I hear her kind and encouraging words, but in class am able to see the truth and believe that she offers to her riders - which is nothing short of amazing. It's like, shit that makes you leave class believing in yourself and ready to take on the day. To be someone who can motivate an entire room of diverse people from different places, you have to also be LIVING in your truth and being your most authentic self.

So okay that was deep, but leaders and visionaries need to be represented, ha.

So I HAD to interview her. Just needed to know (and share) where she gets her dope music, her beauty tips and tricks, about her journey into fitness and what it's like being a professional sweaty person, in front of a room of 60 or so people 3x a day....

I am so excited to introduce you to Lindsey Simcik.

Can you tell us a little bit about you? A quick introduction:

I'm originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, very close to where Washington crossed the Delaware! COOL, right!? I'm a nerd. It's beautiful--lots of cornfields and deer. I'm a daughter and a sister, the eldest of four kids, a performer, a SoulCycle instructor, and a big dreamer.

Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a SoulCycle Instructor...

I was a rider for a little under a year. I was hooked. It's hard to explain, so I just let the feeling take me on a crazy ride (no pun intended). I felt like I just couldn't fit it into my life. I was a fit model for a well-known designer at the time, while pursuing my acting career. It was a great gig, but something was missing. So after a big push from a few SoulCycle instructors, I said f@#$ it, whats the worst thing that could happen!? So I auditioned with about 100 other people. It was SO MUCH FUN. The energy in the room was electric and I just felt myself fall into something special.

I made it past the audition and the interview process and was offered a spot in the SoulCycle training program. I'm tossing the ten weeks I ate, slept, and breathed the SoulCycle training program, into the bin of best experiences of my life. I met the most amazing, hard-working, compassionate, energetic people, and they will be my friends for life. I was pushed physically and emotionally in the most loving way. I could go on forever. Let's just say I came out of the program, stronger in every way, more sensitive, and deeply connected to my intuition and intentions.

You moved from your hometown, in PA, to NYC to now LA to chase your dreams. What advice would you give someone who has big goals?

TRUST.

Bumps in the road, detours on your path are opportunities. I always knew I would live in NYC. I always knew I would live in LA. I didn't know how or when I would make it happen, but I really believe that because that intention never dimmed, I manifested all of this crazy, beautiful sh*t! If you have a vision, it will pull you forward.

What do you love about your job?

Girl, it is impossible to keep this short. But I will try. I love the community, the energy in that room and how it's different every single time we ride. I love forming relationships with riders, watching them grow, giving them permission to let go. I love sweating. I love that my uniform includes athletic leggings and a sports bra. I love being a part of a team. I love music and discovering how it can influence our movement and mood. I love how it has given me new perspective on my own health and a new appreciation for my body. I love food, so I love and am thankful that I can eat, eat, eat! I love that it never gets old. I love the Soulcycle front desk staff's and our corporate team--they keep this big, beautiful machine going every day. I love that I get just as much out of each class as the riders do.

Can you walk us through a day in the life?

Each day is a little different. In general, I wake up around 7/7:30am and eat something right away. A greek yogurt with berries and a little bit of granola is a perfect, easy breakfast. I make sure I drink at least 8-10oz of water as I continue to get ready for my day. I'm taking lots of vitamins these days, feels good to have a regime that I know will benefit me now and later. I love to move my body on my own before I teach a class. So I will normally go to Hot Yoga Sculpt or Barre at HOT8YOGA, a Boom session at Gloveworx (both in Santa Monica), or do my own workout and a steam at Equinox. If I have time before I teach, I usually have auditions or go-sees, take care of errands, tend to some music research for class, and I absolutely fit in lunch and a coffee (ex: sauteed spinach, good culture sun-dried tomato cottage cheese, slice of rye bread and an egg over easy...and an almond latte). I make sure to save time for stretching and rolling out before classes. Before and after classes I'm sure to hydrate and eat equal parts protein and carbohydrates. If classes bring me to the evening, I take an epsom salt bath into a shower when I get home. I have a pretty extensive skin routine, so I take weird pleasure in committing to that every night. I'm approaching 30, which honestly doesn't mean much. But it's important to me to take care of my health, my skin, my insides and outsides now, so that I age gracefully later! And finally I light my favorite candle and read for a bit before bed. Right now I'm reading "Add more ~ing to Your Life" by Gabrielle Bernstein. I sleep 7-8 hours per night, no less!

Oh, and WINE.

Besides SoulCycle/fitness, what is your greatest passion? Acting. I've performed and studied acting for as long as I can remember. I am still pursuing my acting career and am so happy to be able to couple it with SoulCycle.

What is your greatest fear? That's a tough one. I don't know. I know that I am anxious sometimes that I might miss an opportunity because I'm not prepared or paying attention. I have moments of insecurity that say "Will I ever find a partner for life?", "Will my acting career gain momentum?", "Am I doing enough?"....We all have these thoughts that make us doubt the NOW. And in those moments i just remind myself to worry less and live more.

What is one of your proudest moments in 2015?

I signed with a commercial agency this year, which was exciting, as it's my first year in LA. I bought a car. I had my baby sister live with me while she prepared for, took, and totally kicked a$$ on her nursing exam...She is now an adult with an apartment, a car, and a big girl job at a Children's Hospital in San Francisco. I'm so proud, I cry often.

Obviously SoulCycle plays a big part of it, but what do you eat to stay energized and keep your model bod!?

I love my fruits and veggies and give the reign over my diet. I keep fruits and whole grains (bread, oatmeal, brown rice, etc) to the first half of my day. The evening is protein and green heavy. I love snacks on the go--nuts, apples, greek yogurt, clementines, Nut Thin crackers. And I am absolutely, proudly addicted to La Croix sparkling water--Pamplamousse (Grapefruit) is my favorite. I allow myself cheat moments. I love pizza and wine and ice cream and CARBS in all forms. I try not to deprive because then I just want to sabotage. So if I want a little something "bad", I eat it and then get right back on track.

What other workouts do you do to cross train? Your abs are AH-MAZING.

Oh jeeeez, thank you! I take Hot Yoga Sculpt and Barre at Hot8Yoga 2-3 times per week. The heat and the yoga aspect helps me to prevent injury on the bike. I have also become addicted to boxing! Gloveworx offers a small group BOOM session, which I love. I feel so strong when I box. And as a "fitness professional" it is humbling because it's SO HARD!! I've also discovered some pretty awesome classes at Equinox, like their "Tough Love" class, which mixes high intensity cardio and strength training. I just like to mix it up, ALWAYS.

What are some of the most powerful lessons you've been taught in your life?

My dad always told me to do what I love, no matter what. I take that advice very seriously--So seriously that I find it hard to commit and work hard if I'm not passionate about what I'm doing. I'm also learning the power of choice, the power of thought, and the power of the ego. I usually have to notice and then turn down the volume on the ego and negative thoughts, and increase the volume on my power of choice. I'm learning! And finally LOVE. It just works.

In your classes you always have dope playlists, where do you get your music?

I peruse different music blogs like "HYPEM", "Eargasmic", "This Song is Sick", and "Dancing Astronaut". I fall into deep music holes on SoundCloud and YouTube! I also ask friends for requests, which serve as inspiration! I love to play top 40, hip hop, throwbacks, dope remixes, heavy hitting instrumental or electric sounds, and I've even played country! It'll surprise you what you could ride to!

You also have a really powerful way with words, and speak directly from a really powerful place during class - inspiring and motivating people...where does this come from?

That's a good question. It's interesting what happens when you move your body to music in a dark, candle-lit room with a group of people who want to do something good for themselves for 45 minutes. It's freeing and exposing. I feel pretty vulnerable. I think what comes out most times is inspired by what I am dealing with in my own life or what those close to me are dealing with. I read a lot for inspiration, I watch TED talks and YouTube channels...I love Gabby Bernstein, the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brene Brown, Mark Nepo, among others! I'm in this together with my riders. I'm learning with them and, many times, from them.

What are your favorites type of workout apparel for day into working out or workout into night?

Mesh is a great go-to for versatility. I tend to wear black. ALL THE TIME. It's classic, its easy, its sleek, it makes me feel confident. Give yourself the gift of layers. It's fun to shlep around in layers and then when you get to the gym for your workout, take off a few. When you leave, ditch some of the sweatier pieces and layer up again in a different way for your happy hour cocktails. Stylish sneaks are my newest obsession. I wear them for a night out, or errands around town. They're fun and no right or wrong way to wear them!

What is one of your New Years Resolutions for 2016?

More presence. Being okay with progress and not perfection. Stillness. Meditation. More cooking at home. Deepening my yoga practice. Travel.

How about that on a MONDAY RIGHT? A perfect post if you're in L.A. and booking your bike at 12 PM today! For the interviews, I really love just getting into it, seeing the habits and rituals of the inspirational people like Lindsey. Coming from the East Coast, pursuing her dreams, going for it, and now living in L.A. leading the way for chicks like me to get my sweat on to Kendrick Lamar.

She's done a few interviews with SoulCycle which you can also find here. To also know about what she eats check this out here, last make sure to book your bike with her in Brentwood, Santa Monica and Newport Soul's on Monday's.

How rad is Lindsey right? The music spots, I need to check out, the authors she mentioned, and eating tips are KEY. Let me know what you think. Have you been to SoulCycle? Heard of it? Anything you want to know here?

HAPPY MONDAY! I just came back from Palm Springs this weekend, writing a weekending and guide from it. Feeling relaxed and SO EXHAUSTED from the spa-life, ha.